Jamaican athletes failed to secure a victory at Tuesday’s Gyulai István Memorial Hungarian Athletics Grand Prix, a World Athletics Continental Tour Gold meet. However, Tina Clayton, Rushell Clayton, and Rajindra Campbell led the Jamaican contingent with second-place finishes in their respective events.
In what was billed as the race of the meet, the women’s 100 metres—featuring four Jamaicans—St. Lucia’s Julien Alfred stole the spotlight.
Fresh off a brilliant 21.51-second victory in the women’s 200 metres at the Monaco Diamond League just days earlier, Alfred dominated the field, clocking a season’s best 10.87 seconds to improve on her previous best of 10.93. In doing so, she avenged her defeat to Tina Clayton in the 100 metres at the World Championships, where she had finished third behind the Jamaican.
Clayton finished second in 10.97 seconds, while Brianna Lyston completed the top three in 11.01. The other Jamaicans in the event, Elaine Thompson-Herah and Jonielle Smith, placed fourth and sixth in 11.04 and 11.12 seconds, respectively. Former Jamaican sprinter Christania Williams, now representing Austria, finished seventh in 11.28.
Two-time World Championships bronze medallist Rushell Clayton continued her impressive form this season, placing second in the women’s 400m hurdles in 53.34 seconds. She was beaten by American Jasmine Jones, who won in 52.91, while fellow Jamaican Shiann Salmon finished fourth with a season’s best 54.81.
Jamaica’s other runner-up finish came in the men’s shot put, where the consistent Rajindra Campbell recorded a best throw of 21.52 metres. Italy’s Leonardo Fabbri claimed victory with a throw of 22.04 metres.
There were also podium finishes for Ackeem Blake and Ackelia Smith. Blake placed second in the men’s 100 metres in 10.04 seconds, while fellow Jamaicans Nishion Ebanks was tied for fourth in 10.05 and Rohan Watson finished seventh in 10.16. Emmanuel Eseme of Cameroon won the race in 9.99 seconds.
World Championships representative Ackelia Smith finished third in the women’s long jump with a leap of 6.67 metres. The United States claimed the top two positions, with Monae’ Nichols winning with 6.88 metres and Claire Bryant finishing second with 6.72 metres.
There were also encouraging fourth-place finishes from Kerrica Hill, Lamara Distin, Navasky Anderson, and Wayne Pinnock.
Hill continued her steady improvement in the women’s 100m hurdles, clocking a personal best of 12.50 seconds. Masai Russell of the United States extended her winning streak with a time of 12.33, while fellow Americans Rayniah Jones (12.47) and Alaysha Johnson (12.49) completed a podium sweep.
Anderson finished fourth in the men’s 800 metres with a season’s best time of 1:43.62. Distin cleared 1.94 metres to place fourth in the women’s high jump, while Pinnock finished fourth in the men’s long jump with a leap of 8.08 metres. Fellow Jamaican Nikaoli Williams placed sixth with 7.88 metres, as world leader Miltiadis Tentoglou continued his dominance by winning with a leap of 8.33 metres.
Other Jamaicans in action included Gary Card, who finished fifth in the men’s 200 metres in 20.28 seconds, Michael Campbell, who was eighth in 20.81, and Dominic Williams, who placed ninth in 21.22.
In the women’s 200 metres, Nickisha Pryce finished sixth in 22.80 seconds, while Krystal Sloley placed seventh in 23.40.
In the men’s 110m hurdles, Rasheed Broadbell finished sixth in 13.25 seconds, Tyler Mason was seventh in 13.38, and Orlando Bennett placed eighth in 13.40. American Ja’Kobe Tharp, the new world record holder, rebounded from a defeat in his previous race to claim victory in an impressive 12.85 seconds.
